Should I Hire an Immigration Lawyer?
Hiring an Immigration Lawyer
Whether or not you should hire an immigration lawyer depends on what your specific immigration needs are. Immigration lawyers can help people with many different immigration and visa needs. Depending on your particular situation, it may be necessary to hire a lawyer. Even if it is not necessary, you might decide to hire an immigration lawyer to ensure your immigration or visa needs get met and to make this process easier and less time consuming.
It is not required to have an immigration lawyer when you are applying for an immigrant visa or green card. In the United States you are allowed to have a lawyer to help you with this but if you are applying while overseas, lawyers are not allowed to attend consular interviews. They are allowed to help you to prepare your paperwork and to have follow-up communications with the consulates, but are not allowed to go with you to your initial interview.
People who have fairly straightforward cases, who are plainly eligible for the benefit they are seeking, who have no records of crimes or issues with immigration authorities, who do not have any particularly dangerous sickness, amongst other basic requirements, can often make it through the immigration process successfully without a lawyer.
When a Lawyer Might be Necessary
Even though some people are able to get through the immigration or visa process without the help of a lawyer, many people wind up needing the help of a lawyer in order to do this successfully and efficiently. Immigration law, like many bureaucratic branches of law, is complicated, difficult to sift through and full of red tape and needing to make sure all your “i’s” are dotted and your “t’s” are crossed.
Work Related Visas and Greencards
When someone is a skilled worker, there are more than a few different types of worker visas and green cards the worker may qualify for. For someone who is not trained in these matters, it is often difficult to know which kind is the most appropriate for them and thus, which is going to be the fastest one to get. In this situation, an applicant may find it much easier and faster to get through their process than were they to try to do this on their own.
Family-Based Visas
There are many different visas that have to do with familial ties such as spouses, fiances, and children, As with many types of visas, knowing which visa is the most likely one to take the least amount of time and work, and the one that will ultimately be the most beneficial to the applicant and their family, is often something only an experienced visa or immigration lawyer will readily be able to determine.
Previous Problems with Immigration Authorities
If a visa or green card applicant has had problems with immigration authorities before, such as they have been deported or denied entry in the past, there is a good chance they will need a lawyer in order to successfully get the documentation they need to be able to legally reside in the US.
There are many more situations than the ones mentioned here that will warrant the need for an immigration lawyer.
Be informed about immigration and visa law with National Visa Attorney.